01 Nov Sometimes you can be TOO successful

The past few months have been a whirlwind. What was originally intended as a side project has quickly become a fast-growing startup, with all the usual rewards and challenges.

We’re incredibly grateful for all the early adopters who believed in the concept and helped spread the word about Massago. We had no way of knowing how popular it would become or how quickly it would grow. That made it difficult to estimate how many RMTs it would take to meet demand in the GTA.

For the most part we’ve been able to deliver on our promise – an RMT to your door on short notice. But as we near the end of the year, we’re starting to experience the same “benefits binge” the spas and clinics typically do, with a sharp spike in demand.

Unfortunately, some appointment requests have gone unfilled because there just aren’t enough RMTs in the network to accept them during peak periods. So we’re offering a few tips to help move things along.

First, we’re asking clients in the short term to provide us with some additional notice. Even 24 hours can make a big difference. We’re also asking them to consider adding a bigger buffer around their time window to give therapists some flexibility when booking multiple appointments in a day.

Finally, we’re also asking clients to consider a male massage therapist. Just like in the spa, we’re seeing a bias in favour of women RMTs. If people are willing to select “either gender” when ordering through the app, they’ll improve their odds of getting an appointment.

We continue to work around the clock to onboard new therapists. But it’s a time-consuming process. We’re committed to maintaining our high standards for therapists, and continue to meet each candidate in person for an interview and practical exam, and conduct a reference check.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to download the app and book an appointment. And thanks too for sticking with us through these growing pains! We’re working out the kinks, and we’re excited to see what the future brings for Massago.